A’s closer Andrew Bailey struck by liner in batting practice, not available tonight

The A’s had a scary moment during batting practice when closer Andrew Bailey was hit in the left temple by a line drive off the bat of Kurt Suzuki and fell to the ground. A huge group of teammates and coaches gathered around Bailey, but after a few moments, he left the field under his own power with a trainer. He’ll be held out of tonight’s game and undergo a concussion test, though an initial doctor’s exam indicated no concussion. Bailey said he just has a slight headache, and he’s sporting a red spot where he got hit. “Thank God I was wearing my Oakley sunglasses,” Bailey said afterward.

Suzuki wasn’t available to reporters in the clubhouse before media access was over. But he walked over to Bailey as Bailey was leaving the field and gave his teammate a hug. Bailey smiled at him. “Just rake tonight,” Bailey told him.

Long story short, a scary scene that could have turned out much worse …

–Center fielder Coco Crisp is out of the lineup again and was scheduled for an MRI today on his right ankle. This injury stems from Crisp fouling a ball off his foot in a Sept. 3 game. The pain is more located in his ankle now, A’s manager Bob Melvin said. Melvin is hopeful of getting Crisp back before season’s end, but I’d think that will depend on what the MRI shows. Unless the injury turns out to be incredibly minor, I wouldn’t be surprised if Crisp is shut down. There’s no use subjecting the guy to greater injury with just 16 games left and no shot at the playoffs. Would Crisp want to get back in to try to win the AL stolen base title? He trailed the Yankees’ Brett Gardner by three steals entering today. It’s a good question. Crisp hasn’t addressed his injury with beat writers yet.

This increases the chances of Michael Taylor and/or Jai Miller getting more outfield time. But Melvin said there’s a delicate balance to strike with the A’s playing so many games against teams fighting for playoff spots — he feels a degree of obligation to put a credible lineup on the field, as opposed to just loading his batting order with prospects.